Training for Commercial Spaceflight

OCP Building training center –Classroom –Simulation –Actual flight time

Training Problems Ill defined No standards Does not fit other models Wrong group tasked

Why Worry? Safety –Crew is part of safety system –Obvious is not always obvious Cost –Accidents –Insurance –Reputation/Lost bookings

TITLE 49, SUBTITLE IX, CHAPTER 701, § (2) “crew” means any employee of a licensee or transferee, or of a contractor or subcontractor of a licensee or transferee, who performs activities in the course of that employment directly relating to the launch, reentry, or other operation of or in a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle that carries human beings. (17) “space flight participant” means an individual, who is not crew, carried within a launch vehicle or reentry vehicle.

Human Space Flight Requirements for Crew and Space Flight Participants d. Payment for Pilot or Remote –“Under this final rule, the FAA will not allow a space flight participant to act as a pilot or remote operator of a launch or reentry vehicle.” –“The FAA notes that someone paying to fly, whether as a passenger or at the controls, is a space flight participant rather than an employee.”

What does this mean? Operator must bear all costs of training Must hire individual before training Non-employees can not be adequately trained Full training can only happen after operator is licensed or permitted

Human Space Flight Requirements for Crew and Space Flight Participants (b) § Operator training of crew. –(a) Implementation of training. An operator must train each member of its crew and define standards for successful completion in accordance with § –(b) Training device fidelity. An operator must (1) Ensure that any crew-training device used to meet the training requirements realistically represents the vehicle’s configuration and mission, or (2) Inform the crew member being trained of the differences between the two.

What does this Mean? (b) Operator is responsible for: –Simulators –Training facility –Curriculum –all liability –Cost Operator may not be the manufacture of the vehicle and be in need of training The operator may not be the best choice to make standards

Guidelines? Regulations on training are very broad How much is enough? What is best practices? What works / doesn’t work? How do we know we are safe? NASA or Aviation Industry?

Standards CYA –Helps defend against lawsuits –Increases safety –Able to pinpoint problems sooner –Easier to interface with the FAA

How? Industry group –Members include those building/flying/training for spaceflight –Set guidelines and suggest standards –Non-profit / independent –Interface with FAA